Sing Down the Abyss
by Azhdah
Summary: Ten years have passed and a new Spirit Detective has taken the wheel. Unfortunately, he's become tangled in the web of a devious young woman and a dark conspiracy.
1. Prologue: Crimson Howl

**A/N:** Oh. My. God. I am so sorry! This rewrite is taking forever and it isn't because I lack ideas, it's just that I've been so busy with other things. (Which in hindsight I ACTUALLY should be doing something else but... yeah.)

So yeah, I had wanted the story to have a much darker tone to it and that's why I decided to do the rewrite. For those who've read the story before, there will still be humor, but it will be much more subtle. (And in some points probably only funny to me.)

Please tell me if there are any weird mistakes in grammar or sentence structure.

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**Sing Down the Abyss**

By: Azhdah

Prologue: Crimson Howl

...

Red.

The color of fire and blood, it is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, and determination as well as passion, desire, and love.

Red.

Such a color, so simple, so harmless. Now glints with a malevolent nature on marble floors.

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Dark hallways yawned ominously through the eerie silence of the mansion. Their gaping maws giving a peculiar sense that one would be swallowed whole and never escape their corridors once entered. A quarter moon, like a white sickle, shone through the high arched windows in the dining hall, casting a baleful glow upon the grey tile floors and the dark cherry dining table swathed in white linen. Suddenly voices could be heard shouting in the distance, the din crashing through the shadowed corridors with echoing bellows. A resounding bang ripped down the hallways, followed by a woman's scream. Another bang. And once again, it was silent.

The tablecloth shivered with movement as a petite hand lifted the luminescent veil and a head of long brown hair peeked out from it's hiding place twisting slowly about to survey the area. The coast appeared to be clear. Taking great care to be silent, the figure crawled away from the dark shadows of the table, quickly flitting to another shadow behind the door, careful to avoid the still bodies lying on the floor.

A low murmur was heard and the figure stiffened with held breath as the voices drew near. The figure waited and listened, catching the last end of one sentence as they came closer, "…ecked the dining room?" One voice growled, laced with irritation.

"Yeah…" The other replied loudly, smacking his gum, not bothering to muffle his voice despite his partner's insistence, "But ya know, I think she's movin' about, yeah? Tryin' ta confuse us. Makin' us have ta think twice about where we look, ya know? William _did_ say that she's a clever one, so I wouldn't put it past her ta slip away all quick-like." He popped his gum obnoxiously.

His larger partner rolled his eyes and strode toward the room, his heavy boots thudding against the linoleum like an ominous drum. "Well, let's check again then," He grumbled, "if your hunch is correct then we could be searching all night." The loud one groaned and padded after him, muttering unintelligibly to himself.

As they passed, the figure pressed hard onto the wall behind her, careful to remain deep in shadow and hardily breathing. Her heartbeat thumping noisily in her ears, she feared that they could hear it. "Why do we have ta search for this brat again?" The smaller one whined, kicking a corpse as he passed, "Isn't she young enough ta go inta shock er somethin' and completely ferget about what happened?"

The first one was searching the cabinets as the second one caught up to him and he glanced at younger man in irritation. "Don't be an idiot, Slim. The girl's fourteen. She's too old to forget about what we did, and if the Fed's got a hold of her it'd be all over for us _and_ William. So just shut up and do your job."

A hurt expression crossed Slim's face and he gestured wildly, "But if _I_ find her, I don't wanna have ta _kill_ her!" The figure behind the door flinched at the emphasized word and the door shifted slightly, luckily the bigger man had shifted his gaze to another cabinet, "I left all the killin' of the tots ta ya big shot loonies, it's against mah code ta shoot kids!"

Sighing greatly, the bigger man looked to the ceiling as if begging someone for patience, he then resumed his search, "If you had _listened_ to William in the beginning," He stated through gritted teeth, "he had very clearly stated that we were _not_ to kill her when we started this search. We need to bring her to him _alive_!"

Cautiously, the figure behind the door shifted forward, moving away from the shaded corner. She watched, with cobalt blue eyes, the two men conversing with their backs turned toward her. She inched her way toward the hallway, certain that she could disappear again while they were distracted. Her bare feet padded catlike on the tile, and she had almost rounded the edge of the door when her foot slipped on something wet. On impulse her hands snatched the brass handle of the door. However, luck was not on her side as gravity took over and smashed the door's edge into the wall.

Instantly, the two men whirled about pistols drawn. The girl scrambled on the slick floor and just passed the doorframe when a couple shots were fired, splintering the wood by her skull. "Whoa! Whoa! Stop firin' Jack!" The girl heard Slim yell frantically after he caught a glimpse of a dirty tearstained face. She bolted down a nearby passage without hesitation. Sounds of struggling pursuit followed and she felt as small bit of relief at the thought that they were no doubt having difficulty maneuvering around all the corpses and blood they left behind.

'_Blood…'_ She repeated to herself and whipped her head around only to have her eyes widen in horror as she had left wet red footprints that steadily faded trailing behind her. _'They'll know which way I went…'_ Trying not to sob at her carelessness, the girl sped up, determined to find another place to hide.

Loud footfalls were heard behind her and she once again looked back gauging the distance. However, her eyes weren't ahead and when she went to round a corner, she didn't see the crimson puddle until her feet were in the air and her head was crashing against the linoleum. Stars exploded in front of her eyes and she curled to her side to grip her throbbing cranium. A metallic scent wafted into her nostrils and she snapped her eyes open to view a pale face staring back at her. Jolting up, it took her a second to realize that it was a cadaver, another to notice that she was covered in blood, and a third to react to her pursuers rounding the corner.

Gasping, she rotated to take off again, but Slim, the smaller and faster of the two lunged and seized her by the hair, "Aaaand _where_ d'ya think yer runnin' off ta little missy?" He admonished good naturedly twisting her about so he could get a good grip on one of her wrists. "Now if ya be a good girl I won't have ta rough ya up too much!"

"AUGHK!" She shouted, grabbing at her own hair to lessen the strain on her skull. For a small person he was surprisingly strong and her desperate struggling only showed how weak she was compared to him. Heavier steps soon caught up to the two of them, and the bigger man, Jack, came into view, slightly winded.

"Heh, well I guess having you around was useful after all." Jack muttered to the younger man, taking the still struggling girl out of Slim's grasp. "She's definitely a quick one…" He growled when the girl gave a deft kick to the older guy's face missing by mere centimeters.

A toothy grin split Slim's face in two, "Eeeeeh? What's that big man? A compliment? That's big news comin' from ya."

The two men started striding away, bantering as they will, and taking their very lively prize with them. The girl's eyes flicked around rapidly, trying to find a way out of this situation. A distraction. A weapon. Something! But the large man had a bruising hold on her waist and obviously didn't have any plan of releasing it. More tears spilled from her eyes, reacting to the fear that overtook her body. She had been caught. She was going to die!

It didn't take long for others of the gang to be hailed down and added to the growing group. Soon the girl had her own private entourage; each one in a black suit and tie, and all of them exuding killing intent towards their "guest". No doubt many of them wanted to wring her neck right then and there, for all the trouble she caused.

Needless to say, her insides felt like they wanted to shrivel up and die.

Finally, the escort reached the ballroom. It was lit up from floor to ceiling by a grand chandelier, covered from top to bottom in crystal prisms, refracting light disgustingly off the many pale skinned bodies lying on the floor. The tinkling of keys on a piano cut through the morbid scene, in a tune that was completely contradictory to the mood of the room.

The girl felt her innards twist, knot, and flip in interesting ways when she spotted the figure sitting on the piano stool. He was a tall man in his early twenties, in a clean-cut tuxedo, with brown hair groomed in a gentlemanly style, his face an expression of silent serenity as he played a gentle sonata.

And with the state that the room was in, such an expression only attributed to his well-hid madness.

Without a word, the large man dropped her mercilessly to the floor and the group about her dispersed, taking up guard positions around the exits. She grimaced at the rough treatment and stood warily watching the man before her. Seemingly oblivious to her presence, he continued his rhythmic pressing of the keys. His deft hands flowing over the notes like water in a stream. The more he played, the greater the girl's anxiety grew, until it felt like she was going to die of a heart attack with how fast the poor muscle was pumping blood.

Then, the music stopped. Slowly, he turned toward the girl, his face broken out into a sweet smile. The girl felt the back of her neck prickle.

"So," The man started, his voice melodic, "Aria, you've certainly made some difficulty for us this evening. Tell me, what did you think of my song?"

The girl, Aria, felt her lips tighten as she clenched her jaw. Her teary eyes stared down at his well-polished shoes. She didn't want to see him looking at her with those eyes. Eyes filled with hunger.

He continued speaking despite her silence, "I don't want to sound like I'm bragging, but I do think it to be a wonderful tune. I had made it just for this occasion you see, to celebrate your inheritance of the family fortune!" As he spoke, the man's voice grew steadily louder, gaining a sneer in its tone. Aria once again felt her skin crawl.

"Which now that I think on it," he stated in a reasonable manner, his words quickening as if he couldn't hold them in any longer, "it certainly is funny that the family should go to you, because as I recall you were nothing more than a bastard child adopted into this family. Am I right?"

Not waiting for an answer, he resumed his speech. Pacing back and forth like a caged animal. "And not only were you adopted by my esteemed uncle, whom I have always respected and adored, he also made you the heir of his estate! You. Who only have ties to this family through marriage. You. Who despite what many in my family thought were more intelligent than previously believed. You! Who not only surpassed all requirements to inherit his fortune, but blew all other competition out of the water!"

Suddenly, he whipped about, his face bearing the very image of wrath, and snatched up the weeping fourteen year old by the collar of her nightshirt. "YOU!" He raged in her face, "HAVE NOT ONLY TAKEN THIS FAMILY FROM ITS RIGHTFUL BLOODLINE! BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY HAVE **STOLEN** THE FAMILY HERITAGE FROM **ME!"**

At these words, the man lifted the girl off of the ballroom floor and threw her to the wall behind him. Aria hit the surface with a crack and a cry, slumping to the floor in a tangle, her entire back pulsing in pain. She heard footsteps and quickly looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks, at her assailant. His calm demeanor had completely vanished and in its place, a wild expression full of hatred and malice. Some strands were coming loose from his oiled hair and he swept them back impatiently.

"I was supposed to be the heir of this family, you see…" He growled in a quietly, his countenance still bearing a dangerous façade, but slowly starting to fade. "Uncle Jarrod couldn't have children you know, so he told my dear father that it would be my responsibility. That the brunt of his empire would belong to me!" The deranged man turned away then, staring up at the chandelier with a thoughtful look.

"Being a young child, I was ecstatic at the prospect of owning such wealth and I immediately started working hard in order to fully comprehend what I would rule…" He trailed off and Aria watched as his shoulders tensed and his knuckles whitened. She knew it was going to happen even before it did, however Aria couldn't prepare for the pain that blossomed on her cheek when the knots of his fist slammed into the side of her face, knocking her to the floor.

"THEN YOUR WHORE OF A MOTHER APPEARED! RUINING EVERYTHING!" His snarl was inhuman and he stepped over Aria's prone body, once again fisting her nightshirt to lift her off the floor. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, and he smashed his other fist into her other cheek, earning another cry. "AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT SHE GAVE BIRTH TO A LITTLE MAGGOT LIKE YOU! AND UNCLE JUST **HAD** TO MAKE A CHANGE OF PLANS!" Punches repeatedly landed on Aria's face and each one seemed to be more agonizing than the last. Finally, he pushed her to the floor again, somewhat satisfied with his handiwork.

Her face was now a mass of bruises and split skin. Aria's jaw was broken in several places, the bone being skewed from its natural position made the bottom half of her face turn at an angle. Several trails of tears leaked from her eyes. Taking out a handkerchief, the man wiped off the blood on his knuckles, looking down at her pitiful form crumpled on the floor. He snapped his fingers, "Slim, take care of it."

"Whaaaaaat?" The man in question exclaimed, striding forward despite his displeasure, "Hey! I thought, I'd made it clear ta ya earlier! I don't kill kids ya know!" He turned to stare at the broken girl, noting that her face would likely never recover from the trauma anyways, "No matter how pathetic they look. Ya gotta make somebody else do it William."

"Fine." William stated indifferently, reaching out his hand. Reluctantly, Slim placed his pistol in his boss's palm backing away as he cocked it.

With a swift motion, William pointed the barrel at Aria and fired. There was a wet slap as the bullet punctured the flesh of her thigh and exited through the other side, splattering blood on the stone floor. She gave a muffled wail and he fired again, this time in the collarbone. He continued shooting in different places until he ran out of bullets, her pained cries growing in volume with each new wound. William motioned to Slim and received another clip, ejecting the empty one and then reloaded with new rounds.

Long steps took him to the side of the girl, who was still twitching, blood pooling around her. Once again, he pointed the gun at her. However, this time, she didn't notice. Aria's eyes were looking far away looking at happier days; William smiled and pushed back the strand of hair in his face, "You know, you've put up the least amount of resistance since you'd been captured. The other's fought till their last breath. I wonder how disappointed they are, knowing that the one who was to inherit the family didn't even raise a finger to help them."

Dull eyes didn't even acknowledge him and he shrugged, "Ah well, you can meet all of them in hell soon enough." At this, he fired one last shot, the bullet burrowing into her chest and ripping apart her heart, she gave one last convulsion before becoming still. William clicked his tongue and straightened, "Now," He announced, drawing the attention of his henchmen, handing Slim back his firearm, "we have much work to do. We need a way to dispose the bo—"

A pained gasp interrupted him and he whirled around to see Aria writhing on the ground a red electrical light surrounding her form. Her back was arching in an uncomfortable fashion and she appeared to also be having a seizure. Suddenly she sat up, and William snatched the gun from Slim's nerveless fingers and shot her in the forehead. There was a snapping sound and her neck appeared to be broken, but instead of falling to the floor, she gave a guttural groan and the red light zapped around her again.

William could only watch in horror as her neck snapped back into place and the bleeding hole in her forehead closed up. Some white substance began to coalesce around the vanishing wounds on her body and he shakily yelled, "Y-you should be _dead! _W-Wha-WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?"

Licking the blood that had come from her skull, she smiled widely and hissed in a voice not her own, **"Yyyyou wanted to play mortal. Ssssso let's play."**

**

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A/N:** Ahehe... Ahem. Next chapter will probably take a long time as well. Just a warning, since I'm also working From the Sea of Souls.**  
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	2. Chapter 1: Back in Action

**A/N:** Hoowee! Finally got the revision out! Breaks between terms are a great time to get stories all figured out! I'll be working of From the Sea of Souls next so it may be a while before I update Sing Down the Abyss again.

Have a great Holiday season folks!

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Chapter 1: Back in Action

xXx

Sometimes, he just couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Of all the idiotic requests, poorly detailed missions, and limited resources _this_ one had to take the cake. Did he _really_ expect him to even consider taking this mission? Hell, a psychic _rodent_ could do this job. Who in their right mind thought this would be a viable mission for a _Spirit Detective_? Was this place run by a fucking toddler?

'_Wait.'_

Aqua eyes narrowed as they looked up from the mission statement and regarded their employer, who was currently suckling rapidly on a pacifier and stamping paperwork like a machine. A white eyebrow twitched, "Are you honestly giving me this mission, Koenma?"

The speedy stamping continued without faltering, its rhythm being kept consistent through many millennia of practice, "That's Koenma-_sama_ to you and _yes_ of course I'm giving it to you, do you see any other Spirit Detectives whining like a bunch of school girls? No? Well, then the job's all yours, Kakesu!"

Kakesu, a young man in his early twenties, with tan skin and tied back white hair, growled and tossed the folder on the Spirit Lord's desk, "I refuse. Give it to someone else."

Stamp production came to a halt and the silence that followed was suddenly so profound that voices could be heard in the ogre filled room next door. Kakesu glared down at the diminutive monarch as his squinted eyes slowly peeked open to glower at the white-haired youth before him. Koenma steadily lowered the stamp. "Kakesu, I deeply respect that you volunteered for this responsibility and I understand that many of the missions given so far have been rather… uneventful and lacking in excitement."

Koenma inhaled deeply, setting his elbows on his desk, and weaving his fingers together, "However, just because you've graciously given yourself to this line of work… does _not_ mean you can just choose any mission that interests you!"

An infuriated choking sound emanated from Kakesu's throat and his eyebrows knitted together, "What? Are you fucking _kidding me?_ Koenma I've been working on these small fry missions for the past three _weeks_! I know I get paid to do this, but _really?_" He started listing off various missions with his fingers, "Clean out a business complex infested with demon parasites, deliver a package of Bufu Nuts to the Naga of Patala, gather 72 Mana Peaches, baby-sit Tiamat's treasure horde, force feed the—"

"Alright! Alright, I get it! That's enough!" Koenma exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air. He gave an exasperated sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Look, I know you want more… _action-packed_ missions Kakesu, but the problem is that we just don't have anything exciting going on at the moment." Flinging his arm back, he pointed to the human world map that was currently riddled with little red tags, "If you'd actually take the time to look at our map more often, you'll notice that there hasn't exactly been much activity in our jurisdiction."

Kakesu dourly flicked his gaze to the extensive diagram and sighed when he indeed notice that there was very little activity occurring in Japan. In fact, it was one of those very few green zones on the map, which he supposed was all due to his mentors' involvement in the system around here.

"You see?" The Spirit Lord ventured, shuffling a few papers around and setting them on a cart near his desk, "If there _is_ any activity it will mostly be overseas where human-demon relations are very strained or psychics get overconfident in their abilities and start wreaking havoc on the general populace." He reinitiated his tedious job of stamping and blatantly ignored Kakesu as the white-haired youth rolled his eyes. "If you ever want to get action, you'll need to move to another territory, but I know very well that you're not equipped to make such a journey so ju-"

The pair of double doors behind Kakesu slammed open, causing the Spirit Detective to stumble jerk slightly in surprise, and effectively cutting off Koenma's rant, revealing a distraught blue ogre in a striped loincloth, clutching a slightly crumpled piece of paper. "Ko…Koenma…sama" He managed between gasps, "Urgent… message… from…O'Reilly…" As proof of this statement, the ogre stumbled forward, brandishing the document wildly in front of his lord's face until it was snatched away with an irritated growl.

"Give me that!" Koenma snapped, annoyed with his long time servant, "Seriously George, you really need to calm down." He growled, smoothing out the paper and eyeing the nervous creature as he fidgeted, before even looking at the letter, "And I mean really, O'Reilly never sends urgent messages, not even when-"

His eyes ceased their constant squinting and widened to the size of tennis balls at the content of the note, his hands shaking slightly, "Oh…" Koenma breathed, "Oh no. No. No! Nonononono!" Slamming his hands upon his desk, the Spirit Lord sent his paperwork flying. Then, whipping upright so fast that Kakesu swore he heard a cracking sound, Koenma pointed at the Spirit Detective, "Kakesu! I have a critical mission and if you value your continued career you _will_ take it!"

At Kakesu's sour expression, he glared, "And don't you give me that look! You're taking this mission whether you like it or not!" Leaping out of his seat, Koenma jogged toward a small panel beneath the Earth map and punched in a few numbers, continuing to speak as he did so. "A very important young woman has been kidnapped by renegade psychics and I need you to retrieve her immediately!"

With those words, Kakesu's countenance morphed, a confident smirk making an appearance for a change, "A rescue mission huh? Is she cute?"

Koenma paused in the middle of opening a drawer and slowly turned around to stare in wondering disbelief at Kakesu. "You didn't just seriously ask me that, did you?" He uttered in a monotinous tone, his eyes narrowing minutely.

A shrug, "What? It was a legitimate question. Now come on, give me the details!" He urged with a mischievous grin, leaning forward slightly and setting his upper arm on Koenma's desk, "Is she like a Dayamn-sel in distress?" Kakesu asked in an animated way, his face brightening, "Or is it just damsel?" At this he gained a disheartened appearance. It would've been comical if Koenma didn't feel like his hold on the situation was slipping away.

Heaving a sigh, Koenma shook his head and opened the drawer, pulling out a file with a large red CLASSIFIED stamped across the folder. "I'm really starting to regret sending you to be trained by Yusuke." He muttered mostly to himself, as he slipped out a photograph from within the confines of the folder and slapped it upon his desk. "The woman you'll be recovering is a very prominent individual and under my supervision. Her name is Kurai Moroha," He said aloud, watching as Kakesu curiously picked up the photograph and examined her face.

After several seconds of memorizing her very vague profile and history, Kakesu wondered aloud, giving Koenma a confused look during the process, "Who gives their kid a name like _that?"_

"No one." Was the Spirit Lord's cryptic reply, folding his hands on the desk before him, and continuing his description of the woman, "She's twenty-two years old and is currently an active member of an organization that deals with balancing the Three Worlds. A society that I too am a part of." Grabbing the letter, Koenma gave it another glance over, "From the contents of the message that her… "_associate"_ gave me, it appears she's been taken prisoner by a group of psychics. Why they would do this… I'm not particularly certain. But from what I can gather, it can't be just for a picnic."

He gave a grave nod in understanding, before turning his attention back to the picture. Kakesu made sure that he committed to memory all of her features, so that he recognized her at sight. One thing was for sure though, she was definitely a knockout, with long brown hair, sea blue eyes, and pale skin… but, there was a problem…"

"Koenma…" The white-haired youth ventured, his eyebrows drew together and he appeared to be choosing his words very carefully, his face being the epitome of seriousness. Koenma leaned forward, with a questioning hum, eager to hear what he had to say and also concerned about the young man's change in demeanor. Time seemed to tick slowly…

"I don't think this woman's my type." He finally muttered with a stoic expression. This not being the words he's been expecting, Koenma promptly smashed his head into his desk causing more of the precious paperwork to flutter to the floor. Off to the side, George palmed his face.

Snapping his head back into its previous position, Koenma shouted, "Can't you think beyond bosomy blonds for a few minutes? This woman's in danger and you're contemplating on if she's your _type_ or not? It doesn't matter if your brand of woman is a legless hippie, JUST GET OUT THERE AND DO YOUR JOB!"

Wincing at the force of Koenma's bellow, the Spirit Detective reached up to rub his throbbing ears, "Yeah… but my enthusiasm for this mission all depended on-" Screeching his sentence to an abrupt stop at Koenma's venomous glare, Kakesu shot for safer ground, "-Wheeeen I should be going… You know, they've probably gotten a head start and all, so it'd be best that I go soon, right?"

Koenma snorted, snatching the photo that was still gripped in Kakesu's hand and sliding it back into the folder, "Glad to see that you have _some_ sense. And yes, you should be leaving immediately, I'll have one of the members of the SDF escort you to the rendezvous point where you'll meet your partner."

"Whoa! Wait a minute!" Kakesu objected, slapping his hands on the table and leaning forward aggressively, "In case you forgot, _I_ work alone!" He growled pointing a thumb at himself to emphasis the point, "Every partner you've ever thrown on me has always pussied out at the last minute and I _still_ bring in a successful mission report." Straightening up suddenly, he crossed his arms and turned to the side, giving the diminutive lord a critical gaze, "I don't need some wuss bringing me down Koenma, so the answer's no."

Lips turned upward behind the pacifier, "Actually, the person isn't a Spirit Cadet… He's the associate of Kurai-san that sent the plea for help. He may not be able to fight much, but he will definitely prove to be invaluable in your mission." Koenma reasoned, while pushing a call button on his desk panel. A side door opened in a corner of the office and member of the SDF rushed in with booted footsteps.

"You called, Koenma-sama?" The blue-haired man questioned with a bow, his hoop earrings swaying as he eyed Kakesu with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. The Detective subtly flipped him off with a mocking sneer.

"Indeed, Shunjun." Koenma answered calmly, folding his hands over his stomach and leaning back comfortably; ignoring Kakesu's rude behavior. "I want you to escort Shiraha-san here to his body back on Earth and also bring him to these coordinates. "At this, he pulled a piece of paper and pen off his desk and scribbled a note, handing it to the SDF Captain. Again he disregarded Kakesu's indignant noises when the young man snorted in irritation. "I also want you to accompany them, just in case…" He whispered this final part in Shunjun's ear when the man got close, not wanting Kakesu to catch on. "I have a really bad feeling about this, so I want you to be extra watchful and intervene when you feel it to be necessary." The Captain nodded.

Such suspicious behavior was not lost on Kakesu, however, and he voiced his thoughts without any reservations, "Oi! I'm standing right here!" He exclaimed, whipping about to glower at the scheming pair, "If you've got something to say, why don't you share it with the rest of the class? Or are we gonna get this show on the road?"

And with that, he pivoted and kicked open the double doors behind him, startling several ogres laden with stacks of paperwork. They hastily moved aside when he stormed past, his tied back white hair swaying between his shoulder blades. Shunjun sniffed, "That boy is far too temperamental for this line of work, Koenma-sama… He needs to have more discipline."

"Ohh, I know..." Koenma moaned, lowering his chin to the tabletop. "But I can't send him to any other region, because he could do more harm than good. I thought taking some mundane missions would calm him down, but it seems to have only made him worse!" The Spirit Lord buried his face into his hands and made a plaintive sound, "Just what am I going to do with him Shunjun? Even Yusuke and the others are at a loss as to what to do!"

The SDF Captain shook his head and followed after the young man, throwing a reply over his shoulder as he walked, "Perhaps the answer will be found after this day, my Lord."

Heavy doors closed behind Shunjun, and Koenma sighed for the umpteenth time that day. "I hope you're right Shunjun… I really do…"

* * *

Several minutes back on Earth, in a remote monastery surrounded by forests, Kakesu cracked his neck with a pained groan. Currently, he was sitting on a polished hardwood floor in the meditation hall. An imposing bronze statue sat crouched at the far end of the room, it being illuminated by the candles at its base caused the shadows to flicker about it threateningly. Shunjun stood like a sentinel nearby, his arms crossed behind his back, and his eyes shut with a serene expression.

"Augh." Growled Kakesu, when his neck gave another pop, "Geez, I don't think I'll ever get used to passing back and forth into spirit form. Reanimating my body is a real pain." He stood with a grunt and methodically stretched his muscles to ease the stiffness, "You'd think they'd make it easier to visit Spirit World after all these years, but I guess it's for the best."

Shunjun opened his eyes to regard Kakesu; "It would be impossible to do such a thing, since the very laws of the Three Worlds would be in jeopardy if we even begun to tamper with the nature of our land." Turning he strode toward the double doors that were splayed wide open and were currently letting the spring air waft into the dusty hall, "But enough of this idle chatter Shiraha-san, we must go to the coordinates that Koenma-sama has ordered us to regroup with the informant. I imagine, he is impatiently waiting for us by now."

Snorting, Kakesu dusted off his jeans, "Yeah yeah, whatever you say. I'm on pins and needles here, just hold your horses." Straightening his grey tank top, he reached down to slip on his tan duster, and quickly followed after the Captain. Once outside, he inhaled the sweet forest smells and slipped on his shoes at the foot of the stairs. "It's good to be back though… You guys can have Spirit World all to yourselves for all I care, nothing for me but good old Mother Earth." He smirked.

"As fascinating as listening to you yammer to yourself is, I must ask that you cease so that I can concentrate on where we are supposed to be arriving." Shunjun snipped in an ill-tempered tone. When no words were forthcoming from the young man, the Captain turned about and focused his energy. Kakesu made faces at his back.

'_Tch,'_ Kakesu thought, after numerous minutes of making grotesque expressions behind the stiff man, _'What a prick… Just cuz he's Koenma's lap dog doesn't mean he can treat me lesser than the scum on his boot!'_ Crossing his arms, Kakesu turned away to admire the temple scenery. Despite his brash demeanor, Kakesu knew that the SDF member could easily smear his face into the pavement if he so wished it. Being an only a C-class fighter, Kakesu didn't dare push the man too far, since an A-class fighter like Shunjun would always be the victor.

Kakesu felt the Captain's energy spike as he pinpointed their destination and begun to craft a tear in the dimensions. Knowing that it would take more than a few minutes, the Spirit Detective gave another look over the temple grounds. He remembered being told by his sensei that this sanctuary once belonged to a very famous psychic and that when she passed away, wished for the place to be a haven for apparitions and such. Genkai's Temple it was called… He'd never had the honor to meet the old woman, since he was only a little runt and still living in his father's care when she was alive. Several times he asked Yusuke what the sage was like…

The response was always the same:

"She was a difficult old bitch who was never satisfied no matter how much effort I put into my training!" He would bark crossly, scrunching his face up and crossing his arms, "Cranky, intolerant, and argumentative was what she called a good day and any other time she was damned unfriendly!

But then he would smile wistfully and his eyes would gain a distant look, as if gazing at a far away plane, "On the other hand, Grandma was the only one who ever taught me anything of use… And I will thank her for the rest of my life and after."

A sound, very reminiscent of the tearing of fabric, snapped Kakesu's attention back to reality and he spun about to behold a wavering rip in the fabric of space. Squinting at the landscape behind the curtain, Kakesu saw a blasted landscape with not even a piece of vegetation in sight, a red glow shimmered in the distance. The Spirit Detective balked.

"I... Hey now hold on!" He snarled between bared teeth and backing away from the portal, gave Shunjun an accusing look. "The mission's in Demon World? Isn't that supposed to be the _demons'_ jurisdiction? Why the hell did he send _me_ out here, if he could just easily tell Yusuke to send someone out to retrieve the target?"

Shunjun crossed his arms behind his lower back and took a deep breath, before he answered, "If you had actually taken the time to do some of the studies assigned to you Shiraha-san," Kakesu winced at the reprimand, "you would know that since Demon World is so large and has many levels, the influence of the Demon King can only stretch so far. Much like the Human and Spirit Worlds, a ruler's authority only goes as much as his vassels take it, and since there are so many beings with diverse opinions, that authority is limited." Slanted blue eyes pierced into aqua, and Kakesu unconciously stiffened in response, "Our destination has low patrol activity, so it is feasible that criminal ventures could be performed in this sector. Is that understood?"

Gritting his teeth, Kakesu gave a confirming nod, _'Gods this guy __**really**__ pisses me off!'_

"Good." The Captain declared forcefully, "Now we'd best be off, we're already late as it is."

* * *

**A/N:** He just really needs to calm the fuck down. Chill man. Chill.

Anywho! Thanks for reading! I hope you guys get all kinds of cool gifts. Eat lots. And once again, Happy Holidays!

Ciao!


	3. Chapter 2: Iron and Salt

**A/N:** Rewrite of chapter 2 complete!

* * *

Chapter 2: Iron and Salt

xXx

Sprinting through the grid-like plane between worlds, Kakesu and Shunjun headed straight for the crimson glow in the distance that indicated the realm for the demons. The sweet air of Genkai's temple faded and the harsh scent of the Demon World pierced the Spirit Detective's nostrils causing them to scrunch up. It wasn't a very welcoming smell being that it was composed of brimstone and ozone, with a little dash of rotting flesh thrown in. A concoction that, curiously, brought back memories for Kakesu.

Unpleasant ones?

Perhaps.

But necessary to the development of his strength and control in spirit energy. Kakesu grimaced when some of the trials he was put through came to light: Climbing mountains with weights on his ankles, balancing on a spike with only his energy to keep him from falling, underwater wrestling, walking on hot coals, sleeping with snakes… The list goes on and Kakesu had a sneaking suspicion that Yusuke enjoyed putting him through those horrors. But then… Power should never come easily, else all the world would be in a lot of trouble… At least, that was what everybody told him…

A bright flash whited-out his vision, throwing him abruptly out of his thoughts, and sending his eyes into a blinking frenzy. Kakesu felt the air rushing about him and when his ability to see was renewed the brown earth was several thousand feet below him. Black clouds crackled above with their ongoing storms and the red sky gave the landscape a blasted, desolate look. It was quite the scene and Kakesu probably would have enjoyed it had it not been for the looming danger that was approaching at a rapid pace.

A muscle on the Spirit Detective's forehead ticked irritably and he gave the Captain a pointed glare, _'Typical,'_ He thought narrowing his eyes, _'Opening a portal in mid-air, if this guy's trying to put me to the test, he's in for a surprise.'_ Tucking his limbs close to his torso, Kakesu's body circuited through a somersault to realign his body to gravity's pull. Once he was close enough to the ground, he fired a blast of energy to slow his momentum and with another elegant flip, landed safely on his feet with a satisfactory thump.

Straightening up, he readjusted his jacket and ponytail, swiping off imaginary dust in his attempt to look cool. Shunjun landed just as gracefully not too far away, giving Kakesu a critical eye, but wisely choosing to keep his mouth shut at such an unnecessary display. Instead, he twisted about to focus on the slowly approaching figure behind him, bowing at the waist when he recognized the man's features. "Sorry for arriving so late, O'Reilly-san, we had to make a quick stop in the Human World."

The man in question made Kakesu raise both his eyebrows when he got a good look at him. His attire was that of a butler, with the forked tailcoat, black trousers, and floral print waistcoat with a black tie. He even had white gloves and a monocle on his right eye! But what was really odd, aside from the English saber strapped to his waist, was the fact that this man had blue hair. Kakesu snickered, _'This guy must either be really casual with his job or he's been taking lessons with Botan.'_

Adjusting his monocle slightly, O'Reilly bowed in turn, grabbing the scabbard with his left hand to move it aside, "That is perfectly fine, Shunjun-san. I had expected that you would need to." At this he straightened to glance over Kakesu in casual curiosity, taking note of his long hair and otherwise ramshackle taste in clothing. The man raised an eyebrow, "You must be the Spirit Cadet that Koenma has sent, it is a pleasure the meet you," He bowed again, his eyes gaining an amused glitter, much to Kakesu's displeasure.

With a curl of his lip, Kakesu raised his chin in an arrogant manner, his eyes narrowing, "Sorry to burst your bubble, _sir_, but I graduated three years ago, I'm a Spirit _Detective_." He emphasized, crossing his arms in a defensive manner and giving the blue-haired man a menacing glare, feeding some of his spirit energy into the threat. Feeling the killer intent sent in his direction, the butler's visible grey eye achieved a dangerous gleam as his right gloved hand reached toward the sword at his side. Shunjun, who was watching the entire exchange from a distance, stepped in to intervene.

"I'm sure he meant no insult, Shiraha-san." The Captain interjected, walking over to stand between the two younger men, giving Kakesu a hard look. His earrings glittering when he whipped his head about. "Perhaps instead of attempting to gouge out each other throats, we should be focusing on how best to rescue Kurai-san." With the mention of his charge, O'Reilly's expression softened considerably and he slowly removed his hand from the sword hilt, silently nodding to Shunjun. Kakesu scowled, tightening the grip he had been holding on his upper arms. He had been yearning for a fight.

"My sincerest apologies, Shiraha-san" O'Reilly began, a little flushed at being reprimanded, bowing once more to strengthen his apology, "I don't know what came over me exactly." He uttered a little sheepishly, straightening back up again to clasp his hands behind his back in true butler fashion, "However, Shunjun-san is correct, we must be getting on with our mission, time has already been wasted enough."

Reluctantly, Kakesu nodded in agreement earning an appreciative smile from the butler. Seeing this as a cue, O'Reilly strode away from the other two, standing in the middle of the clearing. Closing his visible eye, he placed two fingers under the monocle while taking deep breaths. Kakesu felt the man's energy begin to hum about him like a swarm of bees and he quirked an eyebrow in Shunjun's direction. "What is he doing?" The Spirit Detective whispered, his spiritual senses going haywire as the butler's energy expanded, "I thought we were in a hurry."

Shunjun crossed his arms, a strange expression flickering across his features, as if he was contemplating whether or not to tell Kakesu all the important details. A frown upturned his lips and he sighed, conceding that he might as well give him just he basics. "O'Reilly-san… and Kurai-san have, I guess you could say…" The Captain hesitated for a moment and Kakesu furrowed his brow, "… a _unique_ connection." Shunjun winced when he went over what he'd just said in his mind, _'Ah shit, this is all coming out wrong…'_

Kakesu deadpanned, "_Unique_ connection, huh?" He uttered in what would appear to be a disinterested tone.

"It's more like a feeling." Shunjun reiterated, suddenly getting the vibe that he was just digging himself an even deeper hole.

Lucky for him, Kakesu didn't disappoint, "So does this _feeling_ derive from within his pants or are we talking about something different? You lost me."

Sighing heavily, Shunjun pinched the bridge of his nose, his serious façade beginning to fracture. _'It's just like dealing with another Yusuke.'_ He told himself in an attempt to remain calm. "This connection is not exactly something I'm at liberty to speak about, so if you have any questions you'll have to address them to Koenma-sama after the mission." The Captain snipped, knowing full well that pulling protocol on the young man would only prove to irritate him, but at least it would cease his incessant questions.

Just as Shunjun expected he would, Kakesu snorted, "Fine keep your secrets." Then after a few moments of keeping silent, an impish smile found its way to his lips and the Spirit Detective tilted his head, "Hm, you know… The fact that you and Koenma know their dirty little secret is a bit disturbing. I always wondered what he watched on that video screen of his."

Shunjun bristled.

While all this was going on, O'Reilly was delving deep into his psyche searching for that certain thread that connected him to his mistress. He felt the blackness itching at the corner of his right eye, but ignored it in favor of finding the thread. The seal would keep the blackness in check, for now. But once he found the kidnappers… A primal rumble vibrated in his chest… They will pay for stealing his master.

He touched upon the thread of power that was given to him and immediately a dark energy erupted forth. The itching in his eye, evolved into burning, and red tears dripped down between his fingers, staining his white glove. Landscapes flashed before his closed eyes, showing him the predetermined path. A tugging at his mind urged him to move, but he restrained the impulse long enough to pinpoint his master's location. Then just as quickly as he grasped it, he let go of the power, the dark energy squealing in pain as O'Reilly's monocle flashed blue.

O'Reilly grimaced when his eye gave a particularly painful throb and more red tears dripped down. _'The blackness is becoming stronger, no matter what we do…'_ He thought, pulling out a handkerchief and dabbing at his bleeding eye. Turning around, he addressed Koenma's agents, his expression grim, "We have our heading. Kurai-sama is about 38 kilometers east-northeast with the party currently moving south, if we move quick enough we should be able to catch them."

Kakesu blinked, a little dumbfounded,_ 'Shit… that's a pretty damn accurate feeling.'_ He then began stretching, his face gaining a look of anticipation, "Alright, well what are we waiting around here for? Lead the way, butler."

A clouded look briefly flickered across the butler's face, before turning to sprint in the intended direction, his coattails flying. Kakesu followed shortly after, however Shunjun stood back for a moment, the expression O'Reilly possessed for that brief moment caused the Captain's skin to prickle, _'He's hiding something.'_ Keeping a close eye on O'Reilly, he too followed. Disturbed thoughts pervading his mind.

xXx

She was blind, gagged, and bound, her limp body swaying from side to side as the large man packed her around over his shoulder like a very feminine sack of potatoes. They had somehow entered the premises of her mansion sometime last evening… or was it two evenings ago… Whatever. All that was important was that four men had overpowered her, her butler, and all the house staff _some_ evening ago, and she was, what she presumed, taken hostage.

The trek from her mansion to, what she assumed was the Demon Plane due to the smell, had been long and arduous… to the snatchers of course, though her diaphragm had definitely taken a beating. She could hear their gasps and huffs as they marched through the demonic countryside, every now and again changing hands so that their captive was on a different shoulder every few hours. Whomever these men were, they had some incredible stamina and she had to applaud them for their perseverance, even if at this rate their going to wear themselves down to exhaustion.

Now one would wonder, why someone who had power like she did, would just be idly going along with her snatchers without fighting back? The answer would have to be in the bindings that they had put over her eyes, mouth, and around her hands and feet. These arcane handcuffs were treated in such a way that prevented her spirit energy from manifesting outside of her body. It was a kind that she was very much aware of and one that was utilized for psychic offenders who are then brought to a court of justice. Now she was no offender and it was very obvious that these men were not a part of the justice system, so she could only conclude that, either these items had been stolen, or someone outside of the law made them. Both would be acceptable cases.

Suddenly, her unwanted entourage came to a staggering halt, the man beneath her heaving in great gulps of air, his shoulder and back slick with sweat. She wrinkled her nose at the stench. Other gasps could be heard from the rest of the party, several slumps and groans could be heard around her and she figured that the others would be sitting down. Hm. Bad move on their part.

"Oi! Taro. Set the bitch down and go get us some water." A nasally voice called from somewhere to the left. The big man beneath her shifted about silently and with gentle hands, lifted her up to set her against the base of a tree. She listened as he stomped away, leaving her to the scrutiny of her three other captors.

It should be noted, that despite the fact the big man had a part in her kidnapping, in comparison she liked him a lot more than his three companions. There was not a moment when she was being carried by them, that she wasn't groped or caressed in some inappropriate manner. It was only the big man who treated her like she was a lady and not some two bit harlot.

**Oh yes, she was going to regret his death the most.**

Ah… There it happened again, the strange feeling that was hers, yet wasn't ,that always heralded the onset of her more… bloodthirsty moments. She knew it was wrong, her human morals told her so, but …oh did it feel so right. A pleasurable shiver rattled through her body, inciting a guttural noise from deep within her throat. She wanted the taste. The taste of iron and salt. The feeling of life clenched in her jaws. Her body bucked forwards and a low moan caught the attention of her three captors.

"Hey. Hey. Boss! The chick's doing something weird." A low voice bellowed to her right, causing her ear to tick in his direction.

A horsy laugh cackled next to the bellowing man, "You idiot, she's a rich girl. And everyone knows rich girls like her are pretty sheltered. We're probably fulfilling some sort of raunchy fantasy of hers. What do you think, Boss?"

The nasally voice spoke up again, "Well, I think if your brave enough, you should… keep her company." He chuckled darkly, "We have to stand by and watch though, just in case you end up dead."

"Pfft. Please." Horsy sputtered, walking toward the bound woman. She could smell his aroused pheromones permeating the air as he drew closer, his breathing ragged. "What could she possibly do?"

She felt her fingers hardening, the white armor spreading slowly up her arms, the coolness calling goose bumps forth. The male grabbed the hem of her pants and pulled so her whole body slid beneath him. Sensing that he was towering above her, legs on either side, she hissed up at him through the gag. He only laughed, his voice now a raspy mess, "Your wild animal routine doesn't scare me, bitch." She sniffed the air, it was musky with anticipation and testosterone, "But I bet I can make you scream…" A hot tongue ran along her collarbone up to her chin, the male's breath was putrid, "… and beg for more."

Boiling need burst forth in the form of an inhuman screech, tearing through the air like nails on a chalkboard. A flash of white teeth severed the male's neck in a second, instantly cutting off his scream of terror as the woman crunched through his trachea with long daggered teeth. The other two males cried out in alarm at the sight of their mutilated companion and the steadily growing white beast before them. Arcane bindings burned away with the onslaught of demon energy, and amber eyes flared to looked upon the staggering males beneath it.

A daggered grin split the beast's head nearly in two, blood dribbling down from the teeth to the ground in thin rivulets. **"How much do you fear us now, mortals?"** The demon uttered, its voice twinning into both female and male tones, as if two people were speaking at once. **"You wish to make our vessel a slave to your lust…"** It hissed while lifting a large talon that gripped their deceased comrade, **"How dare you assume that any of you would be a suitable mate!"** With a snarl, the demon crushed the body with a mere flex of its fingers. Bones snapped like tree branches, while blood flew everywhere, some of it spattering against the two remaining males. Several organs oozed to the forest floor in a heap as the demon slowly released its fist, a forked tongue flicked out to taste the fear in the air.

Backing away, eyes transfixed upon the gory mess of their fellow kidnapper, the humans finally panicked, stumbling over each other in an attempt to get away. The demon swiped a large paw in their direction, severing through trees and other flora in one pass, impeding their progress. A tail whipped out, piercing through the back of the bellowing one, immediately foam spilled from his lips and his body shook with seizures. The leader cried out as his shirt caught on the grasping branches of a tree and the beast grinned in his direction, slinking towards him like some sort of horribly mutated cat.

He struggled violently against his entrapment, pulling and twisting about to get loose. By the time he figured out to just remove the shirt however, the demon reached forward to crush one of his legs, earning, what the beast thought, was a delicious squeal. Dragging him back by the broken leg, the demon threw him into the air only the catch him with a final snap of its jaws, cutting off his agonized screams.

Silence now yawned through the forest, the only sound coming from the monster's whistling breath and the steady drip of the blood from its mouth. All of the demon fauna had fled from this area once they had gotten a whiff of the great beast's scent, knowing full well what power and hunger the creature possessed. A rustling to the side, broke the forest stillness and the demon turned its great head to investigate.

Standing stock still, was the one their vessel had called the big man. His eyes betrayed fear and… a kind of terrified reverence. The demon's amber eyes narrowed, **"Ah… You are one of **_**them**_** aren't you?"** He knelt down before the beast, his head bowed low. The beast's face, if you could imagine it being possible, softened. Taking its thumb and foreclaw to grip under the man's jaw, it stated in a sad tone, **"The one whose death, will be the most regretted.**_**"**_

And it was finished in a quick twist and snap.

xXx

He huffed in exertion, his face beaded with sweat, the salty perspiration making his clothes stick. Apparently, running 38 kilometers was no leisurely stroll as he had previously assumed. The terrain was downright dreadful for this kind of marathon and sort of reminded him, again, of the training sessions Yusuke had put him through. Kakesu grimaced for the nth time that day. _'Some things can't be forgotten, huh?'_ Sneaking a furtive look to the other members of the party, the Spirit Detective scowled in irritation when it was noted that none of them showed any sign of fatigue whatsoever. He gave an especially nasty glare toward the butler, wondering why the blue haired man even requested the presence of a Spirit Detective. It was obvious his help wasn't needed.

Suddenly, as if he had smashed headlong into a wall, O'Reilly flew back, blood arcing out of his nostrils and mouth. Kakesu shouted to Shunjun and they both skid to a stop, running back to the coughing man, blood spilling forth from between his clenched teeth. Brow knitted in worry, Shunjun knelt down beside the butler, "O'Reilly-san? Jacob, what happened?" In his urgency to help, he reached forward to turn the man's head.

Jacob O'Reilly gave a wry chuckle. "I bit my tongue." He stated simply, earning an annoyed snort from Kakesu, who turned around to survey the surrounding area. Shunjun narrowed his eyes, flicking them to make sure the Spirit Detective's back was turned, and placed a hand over the monocle. It flared red.

He and O'Reilly shared a grim look, both knowing that what plagued the butler went far beyond a simple bit tongue. Helping the other man to his feet, Shunjun lent him a steadying arm, "So how severe is the change?" He asked quietly, putting a reassuring hand on Jacob's shoulder.

The butler made a face and whispered, "Very." Groaning when his eye throbbed in a particularly painful manner. "However, we must keep moving. My presence alone should be enough to calm her down." O'Reilly's visible eye glanced at the meandering Spirit Detective a few paces away, "Keep an eye on Shiraha-san. He doesn't understand the danger…"

Shunjun gave a serious nod, "That's what I'm here for."

"Oi!" The younger man called over, cutting in to their conversation, his hands on his hips and his voice a mass of irritation, "If you two _ladies_ are done chatting, I'd like to get a move on! You can make-out all you want later!"

Frowning at the remark, Shunjun reluctantly strode ahead of Jacob, his stiff posture betraying his inner exasperation, "You know, on second thought, maybe the woman would bring him down a few notches." He muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

Giving a harsh laugh at this comment, which must have hurt, because O'Reilly immediately sobered afterward and murmured in kind, "No… I wouldn't wish that sort of pain on anyone..."

* * *

**A/N: **Chapter 3 may take a while, but please look forward to it all the same!


	4. Chapter 3: Eating Moon

**A/N:** Chapter 3 rewrite complete.

Hope the rewrite is better than the previous for those of you who remember. If you don't and weren't there for that... You may be fortunate.

* * *

Chapter 3: Eating Moon

xXx

It was within several minutes that Jacob led Kakesu and Shunjun to the site. The stink of fresh blood and gore made the Spirit Detective cover his nose in disgust. The Captain and butler just looked on, their expressions unreadable. Bits of bone protruded from one heavily mutilated corpse, the flesh contorted like a used water balloon. Another body sported a gaping hole in its back, the remnants of foam still sticking around his blue lips as his body contorted into what appeared to be a very painful position. Whoever had done this… _really_ wished for them to suffer… Kakesu felt a chill run down his spine and he wildly looked about, feeling eyes watching him.

"How many did you say entered the mansion?" Kakesu faintly heard Shunjun say, as his eyes followed the large tracks that had flattened most of the small plants in the area.

"Four." He listened as O'Reilly replied. With careful steps he followed the prints as they wandered further up the trail. "However, I only see two bodies here…" That gave the Spirit Detective pause and he warily searched around, making sure he didn't miss any details. A blurry patch of blue fabric around the bole of a tree caught his attention and he slowly walked around to see a body laying face down.

Kakesu spoke to the other two over his shoulder, "Hey. Found another one." He stated monotonously, trying to hide the clenching sensation in his gut. Something was strange about this body… _'And where is the woman?' _The young man wondered, looking around for more feminine footprints, only to find none, _'Did she get taken by the fourth guy or…' _The Spirit Detective gulped nervously, his mouth dry, _'Did she get… eaten?'_

Nearby a pair of yellow eyes watched the white haired human as he slunk toward the virtually untouched corpse, a forked tongue flicking between long teeth to taste the spirit energy in the air. A quiver ran over the beast's hard skin, sending the hairs at the nape of its mane to stand on end. This is the one… the one they've been searching for. Another sniff to the air confirmed the demon's suspicions and it fought to quell its rising excitement.

He was young.

He was strong.

He was… malleable.

Crouching low and making sure that its demon energy was completely smothered, the beast crept closer; keeping a majority of its watchful eyes on its objective, only occasionally looking over at the target's companions. It recognized the blue haired butler instantly and stilled when he looked in the monster's direction; he was their host's right hand and confidant. It was possible that the man could ruin the whole thing…

For a moment O'Reilly stiffened, feeling a familiar sensation emanate from his monocled eye. _'Bloodlust.' _He narrowed his grey eyes and cast his vision about, searching for the source. She was here, of that, there was no doubt… But why hadn't she shown herself yet? What was she waiting for?

His single visible eye tracked Kakesu as he made his way closer to the third body, Shunjun following at a distance behind the Spirit Detective. As he ruminated over the odd behavior of his master, Jacob suddenly felt subtle excitement creeping in without any provocation. Confused, he looked around himself, feeling uneasy. _'Something's definitely wrong here; this isn't Moroha's usual habits…'_ His thoughts trailed off as he noticed the body laying face down before the young man that Shunjun had brought with him. Time seemed to slow as Kakesu knelt to roll the body. A flood of elation rushed through O'Reilly.

It was a trap.

"KAKESU GET- ARGH!" Jacob cried, clutching the right side of his face as his eye burned anew. The sigil on the monocle burned a bright red and blood flecked with black ran between his fingers.

Lucky for the Spirit Detective, Shunjun heard O'Reilly's call and was close enough to react, grabbing Kakesu's collar and flinging him away as a large white beast pounced onto the trail. A five fingered claw backhanded the man and sent him several meters back, four rows of tears appearing on the fabric covering his chest. Performing a graceful flip, Shunjun landed in a crouch, blue eyes staring imperiously forward at their attacker. Kakesu touched down in a similar manner, his feet hitting the ground with a dull thump, "Thanks for that Shunjun…" He growled, clenching his fists, "I didn't sense the bastard until it was on top of us."

Eyes the color of molten rock glowered at the Captain and a daggered maw split to roar its displeasure. Shunjun scowled, "Don't thank me yet, Shiraha-san. This mission isn't over until we can placate and return her to the Human World." He watched as the beast slinked back and forth in front of them, like a big cat in a cage.

Kakesu felt himself go cold, "H-hold on! You're saying that _thing_ is Moroha?" A white blur bisected his vision; infiltrating the space that Shunjun had been only moments before. Cursing, Kakesu avoided the creature's tail as it removed itself from the dirt and attempted to wrap around him. Jumping back a few paces, he noticed she held her tail over her head like a scorpion; her upper body crouched low to the ground. A vulnerable position… if that tail could be kept busy.

As if Shunjun had read his mind, the Captain lunged at the beast's face driving the creature back. Raging at this insignificant being's interference, the demon swiped its tail and crunched its jaws, just barely missing Shunjun. In retaliation, energy crackled about him and he whipped it out like a lash, snapping at the grinning face and causing it to roar in pain and frustration. Another very effective backhand ceased his baiting, flinging the Spirit World denizen into the underbrush. With one annoying fly out of the way, the demon once more focused on Kakesu.

The young man in question leapt back and landed close to the shuddering O'Reilly.

"I imagine that this is probably a very delicate subject for you and Moroha," Kakesu stated calmly, his eyes currently watching the demon's movements, "But I think I'd like to stress that this is…" A deep breath was taken, "-NEED TO KNOW INFORMATION!" The Spirit Detective exploded, grabbing a fistful of Jacob's collar and dragging the heavily bleeding butler towards himself, "IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO KNOW THAT YOUR EMPLOYER'S A PSYCHO!"

Jacob winced at the proximity of Kakesu's bellow and attempted to loosen the Spirit Detective's grip on his vest, "She isn't insane." He nearly hissed, his grey eye trained solely on the younger man's aqua, "Ever since Moroha gained her demon powers, she's been unable to control them."

Snorting, Kakesu lunged to the side to avoid another pounce, dragging the unfortunate butler with him, "Well that's reassuring." The young man muttered sarcastically, sliding to a stop several meters away and warily observing as the beast slowly turned in their direction. "If she can't control her powers, then why haven't you tried getting someone to train her? It isn't _that_ hard to find someone willing to-"

"Don't you think we've tried that?" O'Reilly interrupted with a frustrated grimace, "We've tried countless psychic masters and demon experts! Even Spirit World is at a loss with what to do with her!" He shook his head and looked to the slinking creature that was his master sighing, "It's like she becomes… someone else, and when you try to talk with her; she refers to herself as 'we' or 'us.'" Kakesu raised an eyebrow at this and Jacob shook his head again. "But when asked about it, she has no answers, and psych evaluations come up with nothing. No other presence can be found…" Another sigh escaped him and he pulled out a handkerchief to dab at his bleeding eye.

Kakesu frowned as he went over what the butler had told him. Negative evaluations. Change in personality. Lapses in memory. All these symptoms added up to a typical possession. Aqua eyes zeroed in on Moroha and he shivered when she looked back at him. Her daggered maw pulled back into an even wider grin and she shuddered with rumbling laughter. _'If this is a run-of-the-mill possession...'_ The Spirit Detective wondered, whipping his head about as she leapt overhead and landed behind him, _'Then there should be a spirit!'_ He and Jacob dodged a tail sweep and were once again joined by Shunjun. Kakesu scowled at the Captain, "How nice of you to join us," He muttered mockingly, pausing a moment to look over the man's disheveled appearance. A leaf was stuck in his blue hair, "You know, if you needed to take a dump you could have at _least_ given us a warning… Our guest was impatient."

The SDF Captain's usual stoic expression faltered slightly, "You're definitely Yusuke-san's student…" He grumbled, keeping his eyes focused upon the demon. "I took the liberty to observe Moroha's behavior after engaging her and have discovered something... unsettling." Shunjin looked Kakesu fully in the eyes, an expression that was as devoid of emotion as possible.

"She has targeted you..." He said, cold eyes turning to watch their attacker intently, seemingly ignoring Kakesu's swift inhale."I don't know the reason, but it would be recommended that you should retreat for now. I knew, the moment that Koenma-sama gave me this mission would be too dangerous, and it seems that my assumption was correct."Pausing for a moment, the Captain continued, "And in the event that you are placed in danger, Koenma-sama told me to intervene so I suggest you back down immediately."

Forgetting his apprehension, Kakesu bristled like a porcupine and snarled, "Fuck that! Too dangerous my **ass!** That thing's barely thrown anything that could make me break a sweat, I've had training that could make any beast of a man curl up and cry. You think a little flailing around is gonna scare me? _Fuck you!_"

"You don't understand, this isn't as simple as you- SHIRAHA-SAN!"

But it was too late, Kakesu was racing toward their dangerous target, blue spirit energy seeping from his body like a haze. Jacob attempted to call him back but his body was wracked with an unexpected coughing fit, blood flowing freely from his monocled eye. Shunjun, concerned about the severe and abrupt onset of debilitating illness, set his attention on the hacking butler.

Energy arcing into his clenched fist, Kakesu roared and unleashed it in a flash of blue light. It coned out in a wide crescent and peppered the demon with condensed spiritual power, effectively staggering the beast. Pulling back his other fist, muscles bunching up like a coiled spring, the young man swung up in an uppercut that shattered several dagger teeth and split the mandible. The sheer power behind the attack was enough to snap the creature's neck up and cause it flip onto its back, causing the ground to shudder from the impact.

The moment they felt their host's jaw shatter from the jarring strike of their target's fist they were impressed. This human's power rating was barely worth noting, but the potential he possessed was astounding. It was uncommon for mere humans to cause physical damage to the skeletal structure of their creations. So not only was he well trained martially, he also had the fundamental structure that they needed to mould their grand design.

This was most impressive indeed.

The white-haired human charged another attack, a forefinger pointed in their direction. They recalled such a pose... in the memories of their host. They leered as the power reached its peak.

Enough... this was good enough.

He'd done it. He had successfully staggered the beast. Kakesu felt his anger abate slightly at this revelation, this was a sign that they could wound it and potentially knock it unconscious and drag it back to whatever cave this thing came from. The young man felt a pang of apprehension though, in the deep recesses of his subconscious, _'wasn't this _too_ easy?'_ it whispered.

Those thoughts were dashed aside however when the demon sat upright again. Dark blood oozed from its ruined maw. Shards of tooth and armor falling to the ground in wet and viscous clumps. Kakesu felt his body automatically fall into a familiar stance. Back straight, feet in line with his shoulders, and right arm outstretched, with a forefinger pointed right at the demon's face. Blue particles gathered at the fingertip and his whole body radiated with spiritual power.

"**SPIRIT GUN!"**

A bulbous blue shape exploded from his finger with a sound akin to a cannon. It tore through the air with such force that it seemed to be tearing through the very fabric of space. With a tremendous crack, the energy slammed into the beast, throwing it back once again. The smell of burnt hair and flesh blended into the clearing and when the dust cleared, the demon remained motionless.

Panting from the rapid expending of energy, Kakesu felt himself grinning, and he chuckled in satisfaction. _'That'll show these bastards... I'm no pushover.'_ he thought gleefully. Turning around he gave an impudent smile at Shunjun who stared at him furiously. "Hey stick-up-the-ass, would you look at that? I was able to take care of the big bad beast all by my onesees! Imagine that?"

Infuriated, the older spirit opened his mouth to tell the much younger human off, but whatever chastising remark that would have been uttered was lost in a thunderous explosion. Vision whited out and an electric shock bolted through every corner of his body, nerve endings seemingly catching fire of their own accord. Kakesu felt the world somersault about him, rocks and other debris slapping against his body, while a loud whining buzzed in his ears. Everything was moving so slow that they became a blur, while the ground and sky reversed. Had silence ever been so loud?

Suddenly he was on the ground, he didn't remember how he'd gotten there, his brain was still performing flips from the several thousand volts coursing through his nervous system. His entire body felt as if he'd been immersed in needles and he was finding it difficult to breath. Body giving a few painful jolts as his confused nerves sent signals to the wrong areas, he eventually managed to turn his head. From what he could see the whole area had been blasted... By what? ... he could only begin to guess.

Deciding he should stand and check to be sure Shunjun and the butler had gotten out okay, Kakesu attempted to get up. Unfortunately, his world spun, equilibrium had not yet been reestablished and he found himself face down in a puddle of his own vomit. Had that been there before?

Slow, heavy steps penetrated the consistent whining in his ears and a shadow fell over him. Adrenaline pumped into his body and he managed to jump back before landing on his rump, dizzy once again. Kurai... No, the demon loomed before him, half of its face totally ruined with deep scorch marks on the rest of its body. White armor bubbled and spit as it webbed across the wounds, regenerating the lost flesh.

"Ah... thas new..." He slurred, tongue numb from the electric attack. Kakesu had always heard about regeneration... specifically pertaining to enemies and how they were a pain in the ass to kill. But never had he seen it in person. "Firs sime for everything..."

Now fully healed, the demon reared up on its hind legs and loped toward him, still grinning that eerie smile. A taloned hand ten times larger than his own human hand, latched onto his head and slowly lowered him to the ground. His nerves burned and he found that no matter how much he willed it, he couldn't move. The beast had a strange hold over him now...

With one claw already preoccupied, the other busied itself with his shirt, hooking one long finger from his navel to the notch above his sternum and cleanly tearing the fabric in one swift motion. Surgically, the demon moved the remaining fabric aside, baring a sweat covered torso to the beast's infernal gaze. Kakesu's breath quickened as a tongue flicked out, it's forked ends gently tickling his flesh. It was tasting him, he knew... he knew he was going to die.

Something brushed his left shoulder and he tried to look, but the demon yanked his head in the other direction and pain blossomed from the shoulder. He coughed in surprise and then screamed, flesh was being torn asunder, slowly, and with purpose. It was going to carve him up before it killed him. The demon planned to torture him first!

Kakesu struggled and bucked against the demon, banging his fists against its claws, yelling in fury. Removing the talons on his head, keeping him pinned with its carving claw, the demon grabbed the young man's right arm and pinned it to his side, keeping a firm grip on his pelvis. He cried out as the carving continued.

"FUCK YOU!" He screeched hoarsely, tendons standing out harshly on his throat, "YOU MOTHERFUCKER I'M GONNA FUCKING KILL YOU!" Tears ran down his face and sweat slicked everything, a bit of spittle dribbling out of the corner of his mouth. The claw had almost reached his sternum and he could no longer lift his left arm without feeling pain. Where was the butler and Shunjun? Did the blast kill them? Or were they just unconscious?

His angry cries turned to sobs when the carving changed direction and then stopped. The demon was looking over its handiwork as if appraising a piece at an art gallery and Kakesu took the time to gulp down great gouts of air. He tasted blood however and realized that the warm sensation that he had been feeling behind his head and on his right shoulder was probably his life, pooling in crimson puddles on the ground. Another sharp pain bloomed on his shoulder again, close to the first. Fortunately, these were short and quick, but didn't hurt any less. He screeched between clenched teeth, feeling muscles pop at the strain.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Kakesu screamed, blood dribbling out of the corner of his mouth, not noticing that he'd bitten his tongue at some point. The demon lean in closer, its foul breath smelling of human flesh and filth. It moved his limbs to form an 'x', pinning his arms and legs with large front and back claws, seemingly taking great care to not cut his wrists or ankles.

Slowly it spoke, sibilants noticeably slurred, **"Sad Winter's child of Curiyan's brood, listen well to Our sacred Word.."** Strangely the voice sounded both feminine and masculine as if two people were speaking at once.** "We divine twain borne of Darkness and Unseen, pass beyond the Veil and unto Chaos. Too long did We depart Our children, forever locked in Our flesh... Time marches to the end unknowing, while dark devices unravel..."**

Straining against the large talons that pinned him Kakesu spit at the beast, "What the FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? YOU CRAZY BITCH!" Slumping down when pain shot through his body his voice becoming hoarse, the young man groaned, "That... doesn't even make sense..."

"**Coffer of bones," **The demon continued without pause,** "a compendium forgotten. What lies within: A Truth. A Horror. Place without time. Oh mortal-born of Time's Winter, Our choice is absolute. Be without fear. Gifts given shall be beyond mortal. We watch. Forever listen."** Black energy began to swirl around the clearly possessed Moroha and a black fluid oozed from between her daggered teeth.

With a deep breath the demon's mouth erupted with a black substance that hammered into Kakesu's pinned body. He screamed as the darkness creeped into his mouth, nose, ears, eyes, and wounds, stabbing into him like thousands of needles. The pain seemed to stretch on and reach into the most impossible of places, he felt his very soul crumble under the weight of darkness that crushed into every fiber of his being.

Get away. He had to get away from it. The pain was too great. But he couldn't move or see, his nerves were on fire and he couldn't hear. Pain was the only thing that existed and it was going to drive him insane, his mind was on the verge of breaking. Something strong however held his mind and soul together, a voice soothing him with gentle words, **"Be calm."** It said, and he realized that it was... whatever had possessed Moroha. Yet its word were less sinister and brought images of security and motherly intentions, with the forceful nature and raw strength of a male figure. **"Be calm,"** it repeated, **"Pain and life, one and the same. Never forget."** The twinned voice cooed, soothing the cracks in his mind and soul.** "We are here. We are listening."** Kakesu felt himself drifting, his thoughts now clouded in a haze.

"**Be without fear."**

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**A/N:** *Thumbs up* :D


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